Chapter 17

Liz

Her feet ached, but not as much as her pussy. Even though her body had reveled in his claiming and she'd wanted more despite her heat ending, now she fought to ignore the throbbing between her legs. Every step reminded her of his gentle yet forceful invasion of her body, which added a disconcerting arousal to their predicament.

They didn't have the cool darkness of night to hide behind, so Blaide stopped more often to check their path before continuing onward. It was both frustrating and comforting. He was so vigilant she knew in her marrow that no one could sneak up on them, but the urgency to find her nana grew with every moment.

She loved how his hand engulfed hers but worried she was inhibiting his ability to react should something jump out at them. But when she'd tried to let go, he'd sent her a sidelong glance and tightened his hold on her hand. She'd smiled, delighted that he'd been as opposed to parting with her as she had been upset over detaching from him. Then she focused on creating the least amount of noise possible as they trekked through the jungle. At points, the vines were so thick he had to cut a path so they could get through, his quick and efficient motions heating her loins, but she kept her thoughts on her nana and stopped herself from soaking the fabric of her pants.

When a wave of premonition hit her, she'd silently begged him to walk faster. He had, for an indeterminable amount of time, but when her legs started burning and her head felt cottony, he'd slowed his pace and handed her more water to sip.

Liz looked up at Blaide, her eyes going wide when she saw his heated expression, then blushed when she realized her two outer tails were teasing through the thick, fluffy hair on his tail. He snarled when she pulled them away, so she gave them permission to continue their stroking, then sent him a worried glance when he reprimanded her with another snarl.

"What?"

She didn't know why he was upset—she was doing her best to tamp her arousal and wasn't panicking despite her urge to find her nana right now .

"You're hurting yourself. Stop wringing your tail."

She couldn't stop the half-snort, half-gasp as his words woke the pain in her favorite tail.

"I-I didn't even realize I was doing it. It's a nervous habit. I'm sorry."

"We're almost there, Red. Finish that water, then eat some jerky. Do you remember where her home was in relation to Rontu?"

She scrunched her eyebrows as she thought about it, releasing her tail so it could join the others in playing with his when he growled as a reminder. After repeating what her nana had said about the little winding path she took to get to the village and how she liked to watch the sunset in front of her when she walked home in the evenings, Blaide stopped walking and turned them to face each other.

"Sounds like she's southwest of Rontu, which means we're closer than I thought. Drink and eat, then we'll keep going."

"I don't want to stop."

"We don't know what we'll encounter. Give your body the sustenance it needs before we face potential complications."

Liz wanted to scream her frustration, but she knew it wouldn't help. Instead, she looked at her alpha and lifted her chin.

"Only if you eat and drink, too."

His chuckle preceded the flood of endearment he sent through their link, his joy at having such a fierce and loving mate causing the glow in her heart to spread.

"Anything for you, my little Red."

When she tried to guzzle the water down, he speared his fingers in her hair and lessened the pitch of her drink so she couldn't. He regulated her intake, which both irked and centered Liz, especially since her bladder made itself known the second she emptied the bottle.

She held it until they'd eaten the jerky. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and motioned to a nearby tree, sensing her need to pee. He turned his back, taking care of his own personal needs before rearranging the supplies in his pack, but staying close as she relieved herself.

He magically produced a little packet of sanitizer, which they both used before he slid it back into a side pocket on his pack.

"Still have the knife I gave you?"

Liz nodded and lifted her shirt to show him. He gave her a tight smile, then pointed to the blade on his hip closest to her.

"If anything happens, use this one first. Keep yours sheathed unless we get separated. Understand?"

She nodded again, a lump forming in her throat, but she pushed it down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

When they stopped at the edge of a clearing, she scanned the other side and found the little cottage tucked away under a tree and gasped.

"That's it! The door is exactly like she described."

Blaide squeezed her hand and gave a quiet purr while he placed a finger over his lips, instructing her to be quiet. After a few agonizing seconds, he led her around the edge of the clearing that didn't have a path and approached the cottage from the side.

Liz's heart sank as her senses told her no one was in the house now and hadn't been for at least a day. Her mate paused again, taking stock of the surrounding dirt before stalking to the back door. Only stale smells leaked under the doorjamb, and when they stopped and stood still, zero noise came from the cabin.

She fought down despair as her mate rounded the corner and took her around the other side until they stood at the front of the house. There were no lights on inside, no sounds of movements, and no smells of wrongness.

"My nana isn't here."

Liz's voice came out thick with tears, but she refused to let them fall. They had to find her. At least there were no signs of a struggle.

A sound tickled her ear, making her stomach sink to the ground. Even though she moved as fast as she could, she felt like her head swiveled in slow motion.

Off in the distance, a plume of smoke rose above the thick canopy of trees, the crackling of fire popping faintly in her sensitive ears. By the time she turned to look at Blaide, she knew he'd discovered it before she had and he'd already run through several scenarios in his head, but she whispered before he opened his mouth.

"That's Rontu, isn't it?! Nana must be there. We have to go."

Her gigantic mate swept her off her feet and cradled her against his chest before darting into the trees.

"Hold tight. I'll run for a few miles, then set you down when we get closer."

She clung to his shoulders and buried her face in his chest, using his masculine scent to fortify and soothe her senses.

"Blaide?"

"Yes, my sweet little Red?"

"No matter what happens, thank you. I never thought I'd have a mate, but now that I have you, I wish I'd found you sooner."

His steps faltered at the sincerity in her voice. Liz nearly melted into a puddle as his purr rumbled into her side, the overwhelming awe and joy he felt for her too much to process at one time.

"I don't deserve you, Liz, but I can't live without you. Once we've gotten Nana to safety, I'm going to rut you for days. Knot you for weeks. Pamper you for months. Worship you for years. I need you, little Red. You're my everything."

The fear threatening to derail her thoughts could no longer reach her anymore.

She had a big, bad alpha mate to protect her.

No one would stop them from their mission. They were going to find Nana and get her to safety, no matter what it took. Blaide would have no less. Liz couldn't wait to see her nana somewhere safe, especially since now it also meant she could learn more about her alpha.

Yet the closer they got to the smoke, the tighter her stomach got.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.